March 6, 2024

The final month of 2023 proved to be the wettest December in NJ since records started in 1895, with a statewide average rainfall of 8.2”. Followed immediately by the wettest January in a quarter of a century, the multiple flood events this winter caused wrought havoc, causing widespread power outages and leaving roads impassable. As a result of these flood events, Blue Acres received more than ninety new applications for voluntary buyouts.

To better gauge program interest and answer homeowners’ questions, Blue Acres staff hosted a series of private consultation sessions in February. The three sessions, held February 1^st, 8^th, and 15^th, gave homeowners who were particularly hard-hit by the December-January floods the chance to speak one-on-one with Blue Acres representatives. Outreach materials were sent out in English and Spanish with the aid of multiple municipal governments, and a language interpreter was available at each event.

At the first session, held at the Borough of Pompton Lakes Municipal Building on February 1, Blue Acres staff held 18 individual consultations. On February 8 at the Lodi Memorial Library, staff spoke with another 16 property owners individually. A further 19 one-on-one discussions occurred at the online session on February 15. Of the 53 consultations held last month, 22 homeowners opted to apply for a buyout during or immediately following their consultation, accounting for nearly a quarter of Blue Acres applications since mid-December 2023.

Blue Acres remains committed to meeting flood-impacted homeowners where they are and providing personalized attention through one-on-one conversations. Homeowners are always welcome to reach out to the Blue Acres program directly for assistance and information, and they do not need to wait for a consultation event to be scheduled. For more information, contact us at blueacres@njdepwptest.net or (609) 940-4140.